Garment



Nov. V, 1939. K L. KLAUDER GARMENT Filed Dec. 20, 195'? linventor m L.Klamder Kathr dttorneg burial.

Patented Nov. 7, 1939 llNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to garments, and more particularly to an undergarment especially suitable for use in preparing a deceased person for In preparing a female corpse for burial, it has long been customary to place between the legs of the deceased person a stufiing of paper, cotton, or the like to keep the skirt of the dress which is placed on the'corpse from sinking between the legs, so that the clothing will have imparted thereto as natural an, appearance as possible. Regardless of the care exercised with such materials, it is extremely difficult to form a smooth stating therewith; anclinvariably an uneven or lumpy surface results whichdetracts greatly from the appearance of the dress. Other attempts have included inserting between the legs and the skirt a thin slab of sheet metal, cardboard, or the like, but these nearly always present a stiff and entirely artificial appearance to the clothing. Aside from the foregoing, resort to stuffing materials and slabs of sheet material is entirely out of harmony with the somber dignity of the occasion, and it is not infrequently a source of distress to the bereaved relatives of the deceased to think that such artificial means must be employed to suitably prepare the deceased for burial.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved garment suitable for use in preparing a corpse for burial which will be free from the aforementioned and other similar objectionable features.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved undergarment which may be worn, in the case of a female corpse, under the dress, and with which the use of stuiiing material is eliminated.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved slip which may be worn by the deceased and which will impart a natural, neat, and wholesome appearance to the clothing.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved slip as aforesaid which may be easily placed on the deceased, and which is readily adjustable for accommodation to bodies of various sizes.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an improved burial slip as aforesaid which is very simple in construction, and which is highly efiicient for the purpose intended.

In accordance with my invention, I provide, in the front portion of a slip which is to be worn under the dress of the deceased in conventional manner, a stiffening pad formed of a stiffening member of a material which is sufficiently stiif to be self sustaining, or form retaining, but which, nevertheless, has sufficient flexibility to readily assume any shape to which it is set, and a facing thereon of some soft, downy material which is soft and rather fluffy to the touch. I have found that the material known as crinoline is admirably suited for the stiffening member or base material of the pad, and that cotton sheeting is quite satisfactory for the facing layer. The pad is pref erably made of a width sufficient to extend slightly over both legs and long enough to reach from the hem to approximately the waist. The stiffness of the crinoline prevents the dress from sagging between the legs, while the softness of the cotton facing serves to counteract the stiff efiect of the crinoline and to impart to the whole a natural appearance.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of one embodiment thereof, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a slip formed according to my invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation thereof, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and somewhat exaggerated for the sake of clearness.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout, there is shown a slip l of silk, cotton, or the like, having a bodice top provided with adjustable shoulder straps 3 which may be adjusted in well known manner to accommodate the slip to a short person as well as to a tall one. The back of the slip may be formed with a slit or placket effect either all the way down, or only down to substantially the waist line, as shown in Figure 2, for ease in placing the garment upon the body of the deceased, being provided with snap or other suitable separable fasteners 5 whereby the back may be held closed.

Secured to the inner surface of the front of the slip, as by stitching l, is a layer of material 9 which is preferably, although not necessarily, of the same material as the slip l and which, in

cooperation with the slip front, provides an envelope or pocket ll adapted to receive a stiffening pad H3. The pad i3 is formed ofa backing of some stiff, woven fabric material 15, such as crinoline, and a facing ll of some soft, downy material, such as cotton sheeting, the pad l3 being so arranged within the pocket I! that the cotton or other similar facing I! is next adjacent the front of the slip l and the crinoline or similar backing I5 is next adjacent the layer 9, so that the cotton layer 11 faces outwardly. Preferably, the backing l5 and the facing I! are combined into a unitary structure, as by coarse, or long, stitching, and after the pad i3 is inserted into the pocket II, the pocket may be closed off by a row of stitching is which forms the hem 2|.

The pad I3 is of a width sufiicient to extend substantially over both legs of the body and of a length such that it extends from the hem 25 to substantially the waist line of the slip, or slightly therebeyond. Thus, the pad it prevents the dress which is worn over the slip i from sagging between the legs of the corpse. At the same time, the cotton or other similar facing l'i imparts to the attire a soft and natural appearance, and the effect is not only pleasing to the eye, but entirely in accordance with the occasion. Although I have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention, I am fully aware that many variations thereof are possible. For example, in place of crinoline, hair cloth or the like may be used as the stiifening layer l5, while Wool, eiderdown, or the like, may be used for the soft facing l'l. Furthermore, the pad l3 may be applied directly to the dress, if the style thereof permits, instead of the slip which is worn under the dress. Also, it will be obvious that my invention may be applied efficaciously to male attire as well as to female attire. For example, a padding according to my invention may be suitably formed with a crease and placed upon the legs of a male corpse to retain the trousers in shape. Many other changes and modifications will, no doubt, readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. I therefore should like to have it understood that my invention is not to be limited except insofar as is made necessary by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A garment for dressing a corpse comprising a slip having a relatively stiff pad secured to the front thereof, said pad being of a width sufiicient to extend substantially over both legs of the corpse whereby to keep the front portion of the slip from sagging between the legs when placed on the corpse.

2. A garment for dressing a corpse comprising a slip having a pad secured to the front thereof, said pad comprising a backing of a relatively stiff material and a facing of a relatively soft material and being of a width sufiicient to extend substantially over both legs of the corpse.

3. A garment according to claim 2 characterized in that said pad extends substantially from the hem of the slip to substantially the waist thereof.

4. A garment for dressing a corpse comprising a slip having a layer of material secured to the front thereof and forming a pocket therewith, and a self sustaining pad enclosed within said pocket, said pad comprising a backing of a relatively stifi material and a facing of a relatively soft material and being so disposed within said pocketthat said facing of relatively soft material faces outwardly.

5. A garment according to claim 4 characterized in that said backing is constituted by crinoline and. said facing is constituted by cotton sheeting and characterized further in that said pad is of a width sufiicient to extend substantially over the legs of the corpse and of a length such that it reaches from the hem of the slip to a point substantially in the vicinity of the waist line thereof.

KATHRYN L. KLAUDER. 

